Summary

River-meadow landscapes Count among the most endangered landscape elements of central Europe. The present renaturation Programme for the rivermeadow landscapes of the Petite Camargue Alsacienne (F, Alsace, Departement Haut-Rhin) involved a survey on ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carahidae) as representatives of the epigaeic soil fauna. A provisional list of carahid species found at seven survey sites in the Petite Camargue Alsacienne was compiled on the basis of the results of four ecological studies (1991-1996). The results were also analysed with regard to species occurrence, population number and structure, humidity and habitat preferences, and the ocurrence of rare and endangered species. 149 carabid s~ecies were identified in altoeether 29.952 individuals. This U accounts for <4% of all species in the Upper Alsace and 42% of all known species in the Alsace. Two species, namely Badister meridionalis and Agonum hypocrita, were discovered in the Alsace for the first time, and 14 species were newly found in the Upper Alsace. Species number and population size varied greatly from site to site (I5 to 104 species and 15.57 to 234.29 individuals per 100 trap days). This is partly attributable to differences in the number of trap days (which ranged from 448 at forest sites to 24,990 on the Grand Marais), but also in site quality. 46 hygrophilous species (accounting for 15% of total activity density), 41 wet species (12%), 34 xerophilous species (40%), and 28 euryceous species (33%) were identified. Field species numbered 88,(accounting for 82% of total activity density), thus representing the most frequent group in the Petite Camargue Alsacienne. The next group in order of frequency were the marsh species with 43 (12%), followed by forest species with 18 representatives (6%).As there is no endangered species register available for Alsatian beetles, we instead based our discussion on a comparison of the occurrence of those species listed in the Swiss Endangered Carabid Species Register (MARGGI, 1994) with the data given in the Catalogue et Atlas des Col&opteres d'Alsace(CALLO&T SCHOTT19, 93), the German Endangered Carabid Species Register(TRAUTNEetR a l., 1997), and the Register of Carabid Species Endangered in Baden-Württemberg (D) (TRAUTNE1R9,9 2). Of the 149 carabid species of the Petite Camargue Alsacienne, one, namely Acupaipus exiguus, is presumed extinct in the Swiss Endangered Carabid Species Register ; 5 species, namely Amara tibialis, Leistus terminatus, Agonum viridicupreum, Acupaipus brunnipes, and Pterostichus aterrimus, are classified as threatened with extinction, 5 species as acutely threatened, 7 species as threatened, and 7 species as potentially threatened.